Nyssa lay in their bed in the apartment they had hired for the week. It was beautiful, the view was something Sara had never seen before. They had a corner apartment, with glass covering the entire edge. She'd been to Berlin before, but it was in college, and the room she had been staying in was in a motel.
Sara turned to Nyssa with a sweet smile. "You know we're going to have to find a doctor to check out your knee, right?" She sat down on the bed and carefully placed a hand on Nyssa's thigh.
They'd been jumping off another rooftop when years of, well, jumping off rooftops, finally caught up with Nyssa's body. Her knee hadn't given away, but the instant they had landed on the ground, Sara could see that she was in pain. They finished their mission, protecting one of Germany's most important politicians. It wasn't a league mission, no. Nyssa had chosen it for them. No more killing, Sara had said. That was exactly what Nyssa followed. She rebelled against her father, became a protector. She had been Sara's protector before.
However, after getting Nyssa back to their apartment and peeling off her pants, Sara stared at a wound she just couldn't fix. She could handle surface wounds, sure. Stitching up a cut was right up her alley. But the swollen blue and purple knee she'd seen was not something she could solve.
"I have enough knowledge to diagnose my... my problem, beloved. It is true, I must see a physician. But not tonight." She leaned on her elbows, watching her partner.
Sara leaned toward Nyssa with a sweet smile. "What are we doing tonight, then?" she asked.
"We will enjoy the view, my love." Nyssa looked at Sara with a soft glint in her eyes. Nyssa shifted, and her face contorted in pain.
"Alright," Sara started. "As much as I would love to spend the entire night looking at you, this injury is going to be a real problem." She leaned forward, placing a light kiss on Nyssa's forehead. "Can I please call a doctor?"
Nyssa sighed, watching Sara bat her big blue eyes. "If you must," she answered. "Please help me get some shorts on first."
Sara had called the doctor recommended by the doorman. Her German was flawed, but luckily she managed to communicate the issue. The man gave her the number for a doctor and told her this one would show up within the hour. Cool , Sara thought. A takeout doctor .
Sara went back up to the room. "I called a doctor, they're on their way!" Sara walked into the bedroom.
Nyssa rubbed her temples, but her expression brightened when she saw her beloved. "Thank you. I must say, I do not feel good about this," Nyssa said.
Sara sat down on the bed and shifted close to Nyssa. She gently pulled Nyssa's head to her chest. "Of course you don't, look at your knee, babe."
Nyssa smiled, letting her head rest on Sara's chest. She wrapped her arms around Sara's waist. "That is not what I meant. Having a stranger evaluate my knee... I do not enjoy having strangers look at my body."
Sara knew what she meant. She had seen all of Nysa, of course. Every scar, wound, and freckle. She understood Nyssa's fear, but she was not letting Nyssa stay this way, not with this knee.
"I understand, babe. It'll be okay. We just have to take care of that knee." She gently tapped Nyssa's thigh. "If you'd prefer, I can cover your right leg with a blanket, so there are fewer scars to look at?"
Nyssa raised her head to look Sara in the eyes. "Yes please," she spoke.
Unlike Sara's German, Nyssa's was flawless. The doctor, Mira Schneider, quickly diagnosed her and told her that she had overexerted herself. The tendons keeping her kneecap in place had lost the fight and her kneecap has shifted. She would have to do specific exercises to return to her usual strength and wear a knee brace until she had another check-up. To get the swelling down, she would have to ice her knee.
"Unfortunately that is all I can do for you for now," doctor Schneider, said.
Nyssa nodded and politely thanked her. "Where could I find a heavy-duty knee brace?" She asked. There was no way a light one would do the trick. Nyssa couldn't stay in that bed all week. A promise had been made.
Doctor Schneider thought for a moment, and Sara considered calling a friend for some medical expertise. She glanced out the window to watch the sun coming up between the buildings. It was nearly nine AM. Caitlin would be sound asleep by now. Sara twisted one of her rings and glanced at Nyssa.
"You can get a strong knee brace at most sporting goods stores," doctor Schneider said. Nyssa thanked her for the information, and after filling in some paperwork, the doctor was on her way.
"So, how do you feel? Are you okay?" Sara sat down on the bed after letting doctor Schneider out. The woman hadn't said a word about Nyssa's scars and wounds.
"I am fine, beloved." Nyssa reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Sara's ear. "Did you understand what she said?"
Sara frowned. "No, only half of it. It's like you said, my German is only tolerable."
Nyssa laughed. "I told you that your German was good enough for emergencies. You phrased it as 'only tolerable'." Nyssa did air quotes for the last words.
"Potato, potato." Sara rolled her eyes but smiled. "What'd she say?"
"My knee cap has shifted. I have to do certain exercises and I must wear a knee brace until a physician says otherwise. Knee braces can be found in a sporting goods store."
Sara stared at Nyssa's knee as she chewed on her bottom lip. "How will you wear a knee brace when it's all black and blue, not to mention swollen?" She reached out with her fingertips, careful not to touch it.
"Oh, I have to cool it with an ice pack," Nyssa answered, intercepting Sara's sneaking fingertips.
"I'll go check if we have one!" Sara jumped up and left the bedroom.
Nyssa silently cursed. She specifically chose this rescue mission so they could spend some time together, as tourists. Roaming Berlin didn't seem so appealing with a bad knee.
"Important question," Sara said. They were sitting on the bed, half-dressed, sipping freshly made coffee. Nyssa had a blue ice pack on her knee, and Sara repositioned it every five minutes. She may not be a doctor but she still had Google.
"What is it, my love?" Nyssa asked.
"Are you going to let me help you to the sporting goods store, or will you pretend you're fine and hurt yourself?" Sara got straight to the point. She knew her girlfriend by then.
"I promise I will let you help me," Nyssa replied. She was aware she should not walk.
Sara's eyes shined and Nyssa acquired a vivid image of Sara carrying her down the streets of Berlin. "What is your idea?"
"Since when have you been able to do this?" Nyssa held on to Sara's waist like it was her lifeline. After their liquid breakfast, coffee since they hadn't bought any food yet, they had gotten dressed. With some help from Nyssa, Sara managed to ask the doorman for a place where they could rent a bicycle. She proceeded to leave Nyssa in the lobby, returning five minutes later with a bicycle and two helmets.
"Since I was a little kid!" Sara turned the corner, steering the bike in an almost lazy fashion.
Nyssa pulled her feet up so they wouldn't touch the street. She had expected Sara to get a pair of crutches, not a bike. But the sporting goods store was ten minutes if they used the bicycle, and that's how Sara got Nyssa on the back.
"Here we are!" Sara slowed to a stop in front of the store, looking back at Nyssa with a wild smile.
Nyssa reached up and removed her helmet. "I had not expected this from you."
"Why not?" Sara removed her own helmet. "I had a childhood," she added.
Nyssa smiled. "I did not know that most childhoods contained dangerous activities like these." She placed a hand on Sara's shoulder and slid off the back of the bike.
"Weren't you the one playing with swords at four years old?"
"I was training!"
Sara helped Nyssa into the store, where Nyssa easily explained her situation. The worker showed them three different knee braces with varying strength, and Nyssa picked the strongest. When they came back outside, Nyssa leaned against the bike as Sara tightened the brace over Nyssa's jeans.
"Is this tight enough?" Sara kneeled next to Nyssa.
Nyssa carefully put her weight on both of her feet, before taking two slow steps. "Perfect, thank you, my love."
Sara got up and looked from Nyssa to the bike. The joyous expression appeared once again. "I know you can sort of walk now, but we still have to return the bike..."
"Fine," Nyssa accepted her faith and returned to the back of the bicycle. "However, I will never let you drive if we are using a motorcycle."
"I bet you wish you had a choice, babe," Sara teased.
After returning the bike and the helmets, they were off to find some real breakfast. Nyssa was putting on a brave face but Sara knew that painkillers didn't go down easy on an empty stomach. She expected a stomach full of black coffee to be worse.
Sara reached out and took Nyssa's hand. "You know I love you, right?" She watched Nyssa closely.
"Yes. I love you too, Sara." Nyssa slowed down whenever she took focus away from walking, but Sara didn't care. They stopped in front of a small cafe, and Nyssa cupped Sara's face. "Thank you for taking care of me," she said.
Sara leaned in and kissed her. "You've been taking care of me for years now," she whispered. "I will do the same for you in return, babe." The way Nyssa's eyes sparkled whenever she called Nyssa 'babe' still made Sara's heart flutter. "Now, let's get you some food," she added, placing a hand on Nyssa's waist.
The cafe seated them near the window, so they could enjoy the view. Not that their eyes ever left one another. To Sara, Nyssa was the most beautiful part of Berlin.